ancona was really just a pit stop for us and the point of departure for our ferry. or should i say cruiseship. seriously, this bad boy could run with the best of the Carnival ships. Okay, not really. . but it sure was a lot bigger than any of us expected. Capacity of probably 700 .. and there were maybe 98 on board. we decided to just rough it and buy deck seats for the low price of 20euros. we expected to literally be sleeping under the stars. but there were literally so few people on board that we were able to snag seats in the area where there are just rows of airplane-esque seats. tankfully they were inside and warmer than sleeping on the outside deck would have been. we almost immediately made friends with this guy from DC who has been teaching lacrosse in London for the last year to highschool and college students. he was quite a cool guy and meeting people is one of my favorite pasttimes. we also met 2 girls traveling from Madrid. we pretty much just collected all of the Americans on board. this ferry, Regina, was equiped with a nightclub and bar .. a chapel .. and lots of creepy Italian/Croatian men sleeping in both. Quite the experience. we definitely made the best of it.
We docked in Split at 7am. just in time to see the sun rise over the landscape. Ian's neighbors back home in Maryland invested in Croatia when Yugoslavia split up in the 90s and bought 2 apartments in the quiet little island of Ciovo just 45 minutes outside of Split. The property managers drove all the way there and picked us up in 2 cars. VIP style. during our trip we got to learn some valuable information about Croatia. (thankfully she spoke English) we learned that the black wine is a specialty . it is not quite tourist season- but when summer comes, the country becomes overrun with tourists. most Croatians prefer the former- Communist days to the republic they have today. she was very helpful and the drive from Split to Trogir was absolutely ASTOUNDING. on onen side is the port and Adriatic sea and on the other side, a mountain range gently slopes up providing for a beautiful panorama that had us all speechless.
so we arrived in our little island of Ciovo .. right off the coast of Split. and almost immediately, i notice the supreme lack of any others like ourselves. There were little bars, obviously meant for tourists, along the beach that were in desperate need of customers but were still charming nonetheless. we had 2 apartments that had a beautiful view of the water and the surrounding neighborhood. to put it in perspective of how small and intimate this area was... there was ONE grocery store a fifth the size of a normal bi-lo, ONE post office that was connected to the what i believe was the police station and a bakery. charming. the best part? we had an entire beach to ourselves. it wasn't the white sandy shores that the Caribbean rocks but it was absolutely serene and peaceful and the ideal vacation. since it was 80 degrees by 10am .. we brought our lunch every day (bread, cheese, assorted salami and beer) and soaked in the sun all afternoon, playing cards and shootin the breeze. it was absolutely divine.
one afternoon we decided to venture into Trogir, the bustling port town we drove through on the first day. it was a pleasant 30 minute walk and when we arrived we are all stunned with its charm and likability. Croatians bustling about on their mopeds, roaming through the market stalls, enjoying the sun at an outdoor cafe.. it reminded me a lot of Aix .. minus the access to the beautiful Adriatic. After obtaining some snazzy souvenirs, Libby and I wandered around the town snapping pictures. We stopped for a moment in front of a particularly beautiful and massive sailboat docked in the harbor. I noticed that a very much faded Canadian flag was proudly displayed off the stern and 2 gentlemen were sitting on board sipping wine and enjoying the setting evening. Always taking an opportunity to make new friends and especially those who speak English, I initiated a friendly conversation referencing their poor faded flag. Extremely friendly and hospitable, they invited Libby and I aboard. Being the intelligent and well raised young lady-- i would not have done so unless I had full confidence in the situation and in myself. they were not creepy or intimidating in the least and we actually spent a most enjoyable evening swapping stories, talking about politics, the world and travels. |
| to new friends |
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| Ian and I in Spli |
all in all, Croatia might be one of the most beautiful places on Earth. I am counting down the days until I can go back. everyone was beyond friendly and the scenery was beyond imagination. I am a little regretful we didnt get to make it to the famous Plitvice Lakes . but something traveling and this whole experience has taught me .. is that I have the rest of my life to continue my travels and see more than the little taste/sampling that traveling as a college student allows.
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| we spent all day Friday exploring the beautiful port town of Split |
You dont exactly live the life of luxury when youre backpacking through Europe in your 20s. we may have stayed in the Carleton hotel that one night in Pescara ... but dinners several nights consisted of my new love, Paprika chips, beer and a Twix bar .. and on more than one occasion .. more beer and gelato for breakfast. livin' the dream.